


Miles to go

by suyari



Category: Red Band Society
Genre: Lordi - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-26 08:49:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2645669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suyari/pseuds/suyari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo wakes to find Jordi's not feeling as well as he's claimed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miles to go

**Author's Note:**

> Because Leo spent most of tonight’s episode obsessed with the fact that Jordi’s started his chemotherapy and is not superman. 
> 
> Spoilers (but not really) for _Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car_.

It’s not a foreign sound to Leo. The explosive heaves and sickly wet gulps. The muffled gagging and desperate gasps. For a moment he is frozen. Confused as to why his stomach is not launching itself up his throat like a wild animal caged for the first time. It isn’t until he hears the slap of a palm to tile that he takes stock. Sweaty palms and one full leg. 

Pushing himself up, he reaches blindly for his crutches, leaning on them heavily as he gets up. He’s still groggy and the memories the sounds are evoking aren’t pleasant ones. He shuffles slightly as he balances and doesn’t even glance in the direction of his roommate’s bed. Puts crutches solidly in front of him and takes a step and then another. 

Jordi is on the bathroom floor. Too sprawled to be in a fetal position but trying his damndest regardless. It’s funny how curling up is instinctual. As if it’s ever capable of more than just a psychological comfort. 

“Why’d you let me eat all that pizza?” Jordi bemoans.

“Why’d you lie about feeling okay all day?” he responds, leaning into the doorframe. 

Jordi rolls over enough their eyes meet. His are pained, but it’s still the bright new pain of an ameteur chemo patient. Not the dull acceptance of a pro. Leo sighs and slides down, using the frame as an anchor until he’s safely on the floor. Setting his crutches aside, he extends his leg and pats the thigh. “Come here.”

To his credit, Jordi tries. Reaches out to clasp a hand to Leo’s knee and use it as a guide as he shuffles slowly forward. 

“I’ve seen more resilient zombies,” he comments with a soft smile. 

Jordi snorts, then freezes, face scrunching up in pain. Leo slides over, setting his back against the wall and using Jordi’s wrist to drag him the rest of the way. His roommate makes a muffled sound of pain before pressing his face into Leo’s abdomen. “I’d probably feel better as a zombie,” he grumbles into Leo’s tee. 

“You’d definitely look better.”

“Remind me to punch you when the room stops spinning.”

“I’ll write you a post-it.” He cards his fingers through chestnut hair, feeling the long strands as they drift through his grasp. Jordi’s hair is soft and thick...Leo’s going to miss it when it all falls out. 

He doesn’t know how long they lay there, but eventually Jordi begins to relax. Tense muscles loosening and jaw easing free of its dedicated clench. He rolls onto his side and props his head in Leo’s lap. “Sorry I woke you,” he whispers, almost too low for Leo to hear. Thankfully all bathrooms are natural amplifiers. 

“It’s cool, man,” he replies. “No one should have to pay dues to the porcelain gods on their own.”

Jordi’s eyelashes flutter as Leo’s fingertips brush across his brow. “That feels nice.”

“Yeah, I know.” He gently nudges Jordi’s shoulder. “Lie on your back.”

His roommate doesn’t even hesitate. He’s a little stiff about it but he drops onto his back almost immediately, hair falling out of his face and fanning out against the grey of Leo’s sleep pants. Leo can see how ridiculously long his eyelashes are. Can take in the slope of his nose and curve of his jaw. The way his adam’s apple declares its independence across his throat. And the plump, pink lips that are slightly parted in lingering pain. 

He reaches out, pressing his fingertips into the meat of Jordi’s shoulders, drags them up and around. Clasps the too warm neck between them and strokes with his thumbs. Thumbs he then sweeps up and over, fingers trailing until he’s rubbing gentle circles up the sides of Jordi’s face. Jordi hums softly low in his throat, body sagging. 

“I’ve got you, Jordi,” he murmurs in the space between them, his own face closer now that he’s leaned forward. 

“I have chemo in the morning.” His body shudders, involuntary and completely. 

Leo wants to wrap him in his arms and hold him close, but he’s got Jordi under the spell now, deep in the lull. Jordi’s going to need his rest. So he keeps stroking and says, “Been a while since I was down there.”

Jordi’s eyes open, lashes sweeping as they fight against closing again immediately. “You’ll come with me?”

“Sure, why not? Unless...you don’t want me there.”

“No! I-no…” Jordi’s eyes close, but there’s the tense pull of a frown at the corners of his mouth. It pulls his lips into a shape that makes Leo instantly unhappy. Then he shrugs slightly. “Come if you want.”

Leo’s own mouth curves in a smile, but Jordi’s too preoccupied to see it. “Okay then.” 

Jordi sighs again and this time Leo knows it’s relief. 

“I’ll even hold your hand.”

Jordi wants to scowl at him, he can tell, but he’s far too comfortable and any lingering traces of strength and stubbornness have finally been washed away by the exhaustion that overtakes a body undergoing chemotherapy. 

It occurs to Leo that for all they’ve touched, he’s never actually held Jordi’s hand. He looks down to find Jordi has one firmly clasping the tied off edge of his pajamas and the other thrown across his middle. Leo reaches out, fingers smoothing Jordi’s hair back again, and slides his own into it. Their fingers twine like they’ve been doing it their entire lives. Like Jordi’s arm is Leo’s and Leo’s is Jordi’s and it’s the most natural thing in the world. Jordi’s hand gives his a light pulse of a squeeze before he mysteriously gains weight against Leo’s side. Leo doesn’t squeeze back and he doesn’t stop stroking. 

Jordi has a long way to go. Leo may not exactly be whole or as strong as he was, but he’s strong now in different ways and he can carry Jordi for a while if he has to.


End file.
